Introduction to indoor and outdoor accessibility

Course video 8 of 77

Unit 3 “Venue Accessibility” addresses barriers to access to cultural venues and how to remove them. Buildings such as theatres or opera houses or open-air venues used for festival purposes should be as accessible as possible. Based on a distinction between different venue types, this unit covers the accessiblity chain, the FFZ principle, the accessiblity of indoor and outdoor locations as well as temporary locations. Furthermore, it addresses forms of wayfinding, signs, maps and accessibility information as well as adaptations of the venue and assistance animals. Finally, it provides recommendations for assessing and improving venue accessibility.

Is your show accessible?
When we ask about accessibility to shows, most people think about access for wheel chairs: the sitting arrangements and where their WC is accessible.
When we ask for more details, people usually think about producing a show where persons with disabilities are performing, for example producing a show where there is some dancing with people on wheel chairs.
Accessiblity for us is a comprehensive concept that goes from purchasing a ticket through an accessible website to catching the bus back home after the performance on accessible public transport. Accessible webs, accessible web content, accessible transport, subtitling, audio description... the possiblities are endless.
Why is this course useful?
To make the venue and the production accessible to all citizens, and specially to persons with disablities. The course will go through the many accessible services you can offer, and how to implement them in your venue or your production. The final aim is to mainstream accessibility so all people have equal access to culture.